Propolis: The Remarkable Antimicrobial Product of the Hive

What is Propolis?Propolis is a complex mixture of resins, waxes, essential oils, and pollen that bees collect from tree buds, bark, and plant exudates and use to seal gaps in the hive, coat the interior walls (creating an antimicrobial environment), embalm intruders too large to remove, and reduce the hive entrance to a defendable size. It varies in composition and colour (yellow to dark brown to greenish) based on the available plant sources — Australian propolis from eucalyptus and tea tree …